Damian has had more than 15 years senior executive experience, working for major Australian publicly listed companies, mainly in the aviation and mineral processing industries, with short stints in the banking and oil industries and the Commonwealth Government early in his career. Positions he has held include senior executive management, including CEO and board positions including Chairman, requiring extensive travel throughout Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. His roles have seen him based in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Since leaving the corporate environment in late 1998, Damian successfully pursued several entrepreneurial opportunities in the aquaculture, software and property industries, both as a shareholder and Executive Director.

In January 2009, Damian was appointed COO and CFO of the Royal Institution of Australia Inc. and effectively established the organisation from the ‘ground up’, taking it from 2 to 22 employees and fully implementing its vision.

In January 2012, Damian was appointed MBA Director at the University of Adelaide. During his tenure, the Graduate Management Association of Australia rankings moved from 4 Stars to 5 Stars (top tier) and the Australian Financial Review BOSS rankings climbed from #10 to #2 in Australia.

Damian left the University mid-2020 and provided consulting and business advisory work to a range of clients before joining James Cook University as its MBA Director and Manager, Postgraduate Programs at the College of Business, Law and Governance.

In his own time, Damian supports several not-for-profit organisations in a voluntary role as well as working on a number of start-ups, one of which is a major project declared by the SA Minister for Planning in the southeast of SA.

He is a director of The Nora Creina Golf & Tourism Resort Pty Ltd, a Director of the Modern Money Lab Inc, the Treasurer of the SA Museum Foundation and Chairman of the SA Museum Foundation Investment Committee and a member of the Messinian Association Inc. Audit Committee.

Damian holds a Bachelor of Economics (Flinders University of SA) and a Master of Business Administration (University of Adelaide).

Blog contributions:
3 Simple Rules that Help You Turn Strategy Into Actions